From Connor

Well, this is my third time coming to Thailand and i love it just as much as i did the first time i came. And i'm not just talking about the food. There is never resting here at Eden House for all 33 girls are always wanting to play. Whether we are at the pool, playing cards, hand games, sports, or trying to understand why they are laughing at us, the team is always having fun. Even while i'm sitting here typing this, Nim (one of the younger girls) is wanting me to play a version of rock, paper, scissors that the girls made up. i can hardly resist the temptation to join the girls in playing Bop-it after Steve interrupted and told me to come blog.

There is nothing that i would rather do than be here where the house is so full of unconditional love and joy. From the moment when you walk in the door to the moment you leave, the girls are wanting you to play with them. i've never been to another place where the people love you just because you are there. The girls are a true example of God's everlasting love.

For me, this year has already been so different from my past 2 trips. i came here thinking that i knew what was going on and how things go. Unfortunately, i was dead wrong. The hotel's breakfast is served way differently, places that the team goes to relax is new and in a different location, i now am running the games for the whole trip, and which girls i hang out with are different.

When i've come before, i used to stay with the older girls at the first house and barely ever see the younger girls. This year is different. While i do still play with the older girls, the younger girls come to the first house and always want me to play. They have become addicted to calling me corn in Thai, which is the nickname given to me by the older girls on my first trip in 2007 and has for some reason stuck with me ever since. i'm constantly telling them that my name is Connor, not Cow-po. They are always trying to hang around me and gaze up at my head that is 6' 3'' above the hard tile. i get so sore sitting down but i have to deal with it for that is where the games are.

The older girls are constantly changing also. Wasana, who went from happy to scorn (in a good way), is now always happy. She is such a gangster (jk). Dao is now mocking everything i do but still likes for me to talk to her. I do also. Linda is still biting me and telling me about boys and tells me to get a girlfriend. I change the subject. Siwaii still does the Thriller dance that i showed her on my first trip and asks about my dad Darren who couldn't make it this year, but who came on the past two trips. Patchala is still the loudest and is always smiling, and Awroni is hurting me when i mess up in hand games. i would write about all the girls, but there is so much to say.

All the games that we are doing are put on by me, matt, and dodge. It took some planning, but most use little supplies. The one that used to most has also been my favorite so far. You but a banana in your mouth and panty hose over your head and try to squeeze out the banana into a cup. Although most the girls couldn't get the stockings over their heads, it was still funny when they starting to yack out the bananas. i may be mean, but 20 young girls yacking on a full banana in their mouths and spitting them out is funny to me.


TO BE CONTINUED....